Hanger for deodorant and/or cleaner bars

ABSTRACT

A hanger for water soluble toilet deodorant bars having a hook shaped upper portion for attachment and a lower portion embedded within a deodorant bar. A plastic plate overlies the upper portion of the deodorant bar to retard washing away of the bar.

United States Patent Curran [451 June 13, 1972 [54] HANGER FOR DEODORANT AND/O 3,529,309 9/1970 Leavitt et a1 ..4/231 CLEANER BARS 1,083,561 1/1914 Rising....; ..424/18 178,883 6/1876 Stackhouse.. .248/359 [72] Invent D Gwve, 1,210,650 1/1917 Hunt ..4/231 [73] Assignee: Frank J. Curran Co. 1,979,755 1 H1934 McDermott ..4/231 [22] Wed: Oct. 5, 1970 3,290,699 12/1966 Wemstem ..4/231 [21] App1.No.: 77,919 Primary Examiner-Frederick L. Matteson Assistant Examiner-Donald B. Massenberg 52 11.5. C1 .4123! Bmwn' Mcwilliams Bmdway [51] Int. Cl ..E03d 9/02 [58] Field of Search ..4/222, 227, 228, 229, 231; ABSTRACT 248/339 360 A hanger for water soluble toilet deodorant bars having a hook shaped upper portion for attachment and a lower por- [56] References Cned tion embedded within a deodorant bar. A plastic plate overlies UNITED STATES PATENTS the upper portion of the deodorant bar to retard washing away of the bar. 3,088,126 5/1963 Klingler ..4/231 2,01 1,732 8/1935 Saeks ..4/231 7 Chins, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 13 I972 SHEEI 10F 2 INVENTOR FRANK J. CURRAN d ATTORNEYS g HANGER FOR DEODORANT AND/R CLEANER BARS The present invention is directed to new and useful improvements in toilet deodorant supports and is particularly concerned with improvements which retard erosion of water soluble deodorant and/or cleaning bars while allowing a controlled erosion or dissolution for purposes of deodorizing and/or cleaning the toilet bowl.

Toilet deodorants and cleanersin bar'form are known and have been used with some type of hanger support for supporting the bar from the rim of the toilet bowl so that thebar is positioned within the bowl at a level such that flushing water moves past the bar and dissolves a part of the bar. The material so dissolved or eroded away is mixed within the bowl during the flushing operation and effectively deodorizes the toilet bowl. With bars of some chemicals the flowing water within the bowl may erode an unnecessarily large portion of the bar away into the flushing stream so, that the bar has a relatively short life. With the foregoing in mind, the present invention is directed to improvements which retard erosion of such a bar within a bowl while permitting a controlled dissolution of the bar, thus prolonging the life and usefulness of such a deodorant bar.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the ensuing specification and claims when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a front elevational view of an assembled hanger and bar utilized in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hanger and bar illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one element illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of hanger and bar; 7

FIG. 5 illustrates the assembly of a slip joint used inFIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a further modified form of the invention;

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With specific reference now to the drawings and in the first instance to FIGS. I and 2, the numeral 10 generally designates an elongated plastic hanger body which may have a rectangular or a circular cross-section. The body is formed with an upper hanger part defined by spaced legs '11 and I2 and a bight portion 13, which is adapted to overlie the rim of a toilet bowl. Leg 11 is designated as the inner leg while leg 12, which is adapted to overlie the outer rim of the toilet bowl is designated herein as the outer leg. The outer leg 12 terminates in an inwardly directed end 14, which extends inwardly from the remainder of the leg 12 in approximate parallelism to the bight portion 13., l 1 v The legs 11 and 12 with the bight portion 13 define a more or less hook shaped form which has a size and configuration which fits over the rim of a toilet bowl. I

The lower end of leg 11 is extended laterally towards the leg 12 at a level below end 14 and terminates in a depending stem 15. The stem 15 may have a reduced cross-section withrespect to the remainder of the hanger body. The depending stem 15 includes laterally extending fingers 16 and 17 which are adapted to be embedded, along with stem 15, within a bar of deodorant and/or cleaner which is designated at 18. Bar 18 has a circular cross-section with the cross-sectional area in the lower portion being reduced from that in upper portions. The bar may have other shapes such as square or cylindrical.

A circular boss 19 may extend around stem 15 at a level above the projecting fingers 16 and 17 that is adapted to be flush with the upper surface of the bar. A shoulder 19a is formed on stem 15 at a level spaced slightly above boss 19.

It should be understood that the projecting fingers l6 and 17 may take the form of discs or mere enlargements formed on the stem 15 for the purpose of embedding stem 15 within the bar formed therearound.

In use, bars of this type are supported within a toilet bowl with the legs 11 and 12 embracing the rim of a bowl while suspending the bar 18 within the bowl at a level which will be in contact with flushing water used with the bowl. In this regard the position of the upper part of the bar 18 is slightly below the inlets for flushing water in a toilet bowl.

In accordance with the present invention, a plate 20 is positioned on stem 15 at a level above the boss 19. Plate 20 may be formed integrally with the rest of the hanger as a one-piece molded body. 0n the other hand, it may be formed as a separate molded plastic part having an appearance and form as illustrated in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, for example, plate 20 includes a central aperture 21, which is adapted to be slipped over the lower end 14 of leg 12 and slipped over the remainder of the upper portion of thehanger until it is moved into the position illustrated in FIG. 1. Plate 20 may include a cut 22 extending from the outer periphery of the plate to the aperture 21 so that slight fiexure will provide an opening along the cut line 22 so that the'part of the stem above boss 19 maybe moved along this out line and into the aperture whereupon plate 20 is seated in position between shoulder 19a and the top of the bar. Plate 20, which is illustrated as a disc, has a shape and area matching the maximum cross-sectional area and shape of the bar (taken transversely of the stem).

If the bar 17 has a shape other thancirculanthe plate has a matching shape. In use, the hanger and bar are supported within a toilet bowl and plate 20 overlies and protects the upper portion of the bar 18 which may be formed from water soluble chemicals for deodorant and/or cleaning purposes. Flushing water which moves downwardly towards the bar 18 is thus forced to .flow over the sidesof' the plate and in the direction of the arrows illustrated in FIG. 1. This results in a gradual dissolution of material of the bar along the sides of the bar. The material so dissolved (with or without some eroded material) into this flowing stream is passed into the main flushing stream where it maydeodorize and/or clean the bowl.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modification wherein the hanger is detachable from the stem. In this modification the stem 15 and plate 20 are a one-piece plastic molded construction. Stem 15 extends a short distance above the plate 20 and terminates in a ball or other suitably shaped enlargement 23. The lower end of the hanger terminates in a socket 24 having a recess 25 adapted to receive the ball in a force fit as shown in FIG. 5.

I In FIGS. 4 and 5 the stem 15 and plate 20 are molded separately from thehanger. The stem 15 and plate 20 may then be inserted into a hot mix for the bar in a mold whereupon the mix is allowed to soldify around the stem 15 and under plate 20. After solidification, the hanger may be assembled to the bar and stem by slipping the ball 23 into the socket 24. The

' hanger and the bar may, if desired, be packaged in a disassembled condition. lnthis event, the user assembles the bar and hanger before use.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further modification. In this modification a plastic hanger body'26 has a hook shaped form similar to that in FIGS. 1-5. The hanger includes a depending stem 27 which is fixed to the top wall 28 of the upper half 29 of a twopiece plastic container. The stem 27 is molded integrally with the upper half although it may be detachably connected thereto through use of a slip joint as disclosed in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The bottom half 30 of the container has an upper edge 31 which locks onto the lower edge 32 of the upper half 29 through use of a screw thread, a force fitting arrangement or other well known construction which allows assembly and disassembly of the two halves of the container.

The two halves 29 and 30 have apertures 33in their side walls and the bottom wall 34 of the lower half may also have apertures. The container preferably has a circular cross-section and may have a diameter greater than its height, as shown.

A bar 35 of deodorant and/or cleansing material (shown in dotted lines) is fitted into the container. In use, water flows through the apertures and through the bar and into the bowl, carrying some of the dissolved particles from the bar into the bowl. The top wall 28 serves as a flow diverting plate, as in FIGS. 1-5.

In FIG. 6, the bar may be wrapped in filter paper to further retard erosion of the bar.

The construction of FIG. 6 ofiers the advantage of using cleansing and/or deodorant materials in powdered form. The

. powder is wrapped in filter paper or other water permeable I to fit over the rim of a toilet bowl and support a deodorant bar in depending relation within the bowl, said body having a depending stem with means for supporting a deodorant bar, said bar having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and area taken transversely of said stern, and a substantially solid flow diverting plate formed around said stem at a level above but adjacent said bar, said plate extending generally transversely to said stem and overlying said bar, said plate having a crosssection and area generally matching said bar shape and area to thereby direct flow of water in a downward direction around said stem laterally outwardly for controlled flow along the sides of said bar.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate is formed unitarily with said hanger.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate is removably attached to said hanger body.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said plate has an aperture through which said stem extends and an opening leading from said aperture to a point on the perimeter of said plate to thereby facilitate placement of said plate around said stem.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is embedded in said bar.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is embedded in said bar and is detachably connected to the remainder of said hanger body at a level above said plate.

7. The structure of claim I wherein said plate is defined by the top wall of an apertured container for said bar. 

1. A unitary plastic hanger for toilet deodorant bars including a hanger body having a hook shaped upper form adapted to fit over the rim of a toilet bowl and support a deodorant bar in depending relation within the bowl, said body having a depending stem with means for supporting a deodorant bar, said bar having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and area taken transversely of said stem, and a substantially solid flow diverting plate formed around said stem at a level above but adjacent said bar, said plate extending generally transversely to said stem and overlying said bar, said plate having a cross-section and area generally matching said bar shape and area to thereby direct flow of water in a downward direction around said stem laterally outwardly for controlled flow along the sides of said bar.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate is formed unitarily with said hanger.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate is removably attached to said hanger body.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said plate has an aperture through which said stem extends and an opening leading from said aperture to a point on the perimeter of said plate to thereby facilitate placement of said plate around said stem.
 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is embedded in said bar.
 6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is embedded in said bar and is detachably connected to the remainder of said hanger body at a level above said plate.
 7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate is defined by the top wall of an apertured container for said bar. 